In March of 2009, we reported several exotics that broke the 200-mph barrier out in Florida. Underground Racing was one of those exotic tuners that were on hand including several of their twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardos. A little over a year later, Underground Racing has surprised the world in a story that makes everyone just a little bit jealous.

Underground Racing has built a huge reputation of applying twin-turbo kits to many of the world’s fanciest exotics including Lamborghini’s Murciélago and Gallardo, Ferrari’s F430, Dodge’s Viper, Ford’s GT and Audi’s R8. Much of its goal is to break the 1,000-hp mark on certain applications, meanwhile being notorious for tackling the mile-straightaway at blistering speeds.

Earlier in March, they took a Lamborghini Gallardo Superlegerra, tossed on their trademark twin-turbo kit and proceeded to blast away at 250.1-mph at The Texas Mile after rigorous tuning and testing of turbo and suspension configurations. Your eyes do not deceive you, this exotic bull flew past the competition in attack mode while still enjoying air conditioning and the stereo blasting while waiting at the line. Owner and driver Richard Holt could never be happier.

Make sure to check out the video that just surfaced this week, sporting three different views, after the jump.

[Source: Underground Racing]

GALLERY: Underground Racing Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

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Women in China buy four times as many Ferraris as women in North America, thanks in part to newfound prosperity and a glut of female entrepreneurship.

Of the 220 Ferrari cars sold last year in China, 44 were bought by women. In an interview with GoAuto, Ferrari CEO Amadeo Felisa stressed the importance of the Asia-Pacific market. “We don’t see big possibilities (to increase sales) in Europe and we don’t see big possibilities in the U.S.,” he said “But for sure we have not exploited the potential we have in Asia-Pacific as well as the Middle East and East Europe.”

Felisa also stressed that Ferrari would adapt their production to meet the needs of the Chinese market, but it would not oversupply the market with cars. Ferrari spokesman Antonio Ghini once said that “…we will produce one less car than the market demands”, and this maxim has unquestionably helped Ferrari maintain its mystique and cachet among the uber-wealthy of the world.

[Source: AutoGo]

To call Jeremy Clarkson an automotive gadfly would be incorrect. Quite possibly the most influential automotive journalist in the world, when Clarkson speaks, people listen, and this will not bode well for BMW‘s new X1 crossover.

The new mini-ute from the Bavarian automaker is an important product, but Clarkson was suitably unimpressed, saying its looks reminded him of “a Hyundai that’s been subjected to a thousand years of wind erosion.” The driving experience wasn’t much better, claiming that the diesel engine “…sounds like a dump truck when you start it up…” with a ride that is “much too rigid”.

Whether the X1 is a truly bad car or if this is just another quintessential Clarkson rant remains to be seen (you’ll have to wait for Autoguide’s test drive closer to the launch date.) But considering how much Clarkson liked the not-so-perfect X3, we’re not too surprised that the diminutive Bimmer was given such an abysmal evaluation.

[Source: TimesOnline]

Toyota‘s recall issues just keep coming, with news from the Japanese automaker that it will recall 50,000 Sequoia SUVs from 2003. The problem with the trucks stems from the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system, but it is quite unlike the VSC problem recently identified in the Lexus GX460 – which was recalled for a stability control system that did not engage enough.

According to Toyota, the Sequoia’s VSC system could activate at low speeds (roughly 9 mph) causing a loss of acceleration for a few seconds. As a result the vehicle may not accelerate as quickly as the driver expects. Toyota says it changed the VSC system part-way though the 2003 year production, published a Technical Service Bulletin on the issue and that roughly half of the affected vehicles have already been fixed under standard warranty claims.

Toyota says no injuries or accidents have been reported due to this issue.

All 2003 model year Sequoia owners (including those who already had the vehicle serviced) will receive a letter from Toyota starting in late May to schedule a recall fix appointment. Those who already had the issue fixed at their own expense will be reimbursed by Toyota.

Toyota Sequoia owners seeking more information are asked to visit www.toyota.com/recall or call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

Official release after the jump:

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Having been to BYD Auto’s facilities in Shenzhen, China, we have witnessed first-hand the development stages of China’s new-age automotive manufacturers. What was most entertaining was how BYD Auto blatantly copies well-established auto manufacturers when it comes to the styling of its vehicles. In fact, one of the vehicles they had displayed in their museum was a clear replica of a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.

Universally mocked for outright copying products, China’s auto industry has come to earn a deservedly bad rep over the decades.

New to the pack is Chinese automotive manufacturer Huatai (or better known as Hawtai in English) with its B35 SUV. With the Beijing Auto Show opening last week, lots of surprises are pouring out from Mainland China, the latest being these photos of the B35 SUV. There is quite the blend of styling throughout the car, noticeably screaming Porsche Cayenne with a hint of Audi, Bentley and maybe even Jaguar and subtle Maserati. Based on the images, it looks like the SUV will be powered with a 1.8T – possibly a diesel, as Hautai is known for.

We’re more curious as to how well this vehicle will actually perform on the streets, especially when it comes to safety. It’s really hard to argue though how quickly China is rising in the automotive market and how it could be shaping things to come over the next decade or so. We wouldn’t be surprised to see some Chinese automobiles prowling our streets over the next few years. But for now we’ll just continue to point and giggle while we await for something original to come out of China.

GALLERY: Huatai B35

Porsche launched a “precautionary” recall of all 2010 Panamera sedans amid concerns that the seatbelt could malfunction. Porsche recalled all 11, 324 Panameras due to concerns that the seatbelts could malfunction when the seats are all the way forward in what a company spokesman called “an extreme position..

Porsche said that no injuries or fatalities have been reported. The Panamera was launched in the fall of 2009 and has been highly acclaimed as a serious challenge to other luxury sedans from Mercedes-Benz, Maserati and BMW.

[Source: The Local]

According to a report by French auto-pub L’Automobile, the recent partnership between Daimler and Nissan parent company Renault could result in a new entry-level crossover for the Infiniti luxury brand. So far both automakers have only said that a new architecture will be used to build the next-gen Renault Twingo, Mercedes A-Class and B-Class, as well as a new four-door Smart model. L’Automobile suggests, however, that a new CUV could be built on this same setup, slotting in underneath the current EX. Likely called the DX, it would compete against the BMX X1 and Auid Q3.

As much of a stretch as this sounds, it’s not unrealistic. Such a small crossover might not be feasible for the North American market, and it might not ever be sold here. While BMW is planning to bring the X1 to our shores, Audi has repeatedly said the upcoming Q3 won’t be offered in the U.S.

Wed argue that the biggest strike against the possibility of a Mercedes-sourced Infiniti DX is the new Nissan Juke, which already sports a high-tech engine and advanced AWD system and could surely be adapted to the Infiniti brand and sold in Europe.

[Source: L'Automobile]

General Motors has announced it will invest $890 million in its powertrain facilities, part of which will go towards development of a new generation of powerful and efficient small-block V8 engines. The new engines will be E85 compatible, will use aluminum blocks and will get direct-injection technology. They will also get a new type of combustion system design. All of these updates will result in “unprecedented” improvements in fuel economy.

Updates to powertrain facilities will be made at five locations: Tonawanda, NY; St. Catharines, Ontario; Defiance, Ohio; Bedford, Indiana and Bay City, Michigan. GM says more than 1,600 jobs will be added or retained due to the investment.

There’s no word on exactly what vehicles will get the new engines, but its likely they will arrive in GM’s trucks, as well as a new generation of spots cars and luxury cars, ranging from the Corvette, to the Camaro, to the Cadillac CTS-V.

Official release after the jump:

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The next generation of Mercedes SL models are likely to weigh considerably less than the current boulevard cruisers thanks to the addition of carbon fiber body panels. According to a report by Reuters, a Japanese textile company called Toray Industries will make the carbon fiber weave for Daimler. The parts will be manufactured at Toray’s facility in France. Toray has experience in carbon fiber, supplying the weave to Ferrari for some of its past models.

According to Toray spokesman Yoshitaka Yamagata, the SL will be the first Benz model to use the new parts, starting in 2012.

BMW recently announced it would produce carbon fiber parts for its future models at a new facility in Washinton State.

Also helping to reduce the overall weight of the next-gen SL are a new generation of engines, with turbocharged smaller displacement motors replacing the larger naturally aspirated powerplants.

[Source: Reuters]

Well, now one guy has cause to point and laugh at all those idiots who plunked down $1.6 million for their Bugatti Veyron’s. The Hoffman Motorsports / Heffner Performance that just this year set a 252 mph standing mile record at the Texas Mile has done it again. At the, Exotics Rally Miami One Mile, this past weekend, they cranked up the boost from a pedestrian 26 psi in Texas to an unbelievable 41 psi, bringing the total output of this particular Ford to 1,900hp, and propelling the Yellow GT to a new standing mile record at 266.93 mph, and officially sealing the deal for me that the Ford GT is truly the ultimate tuner car.

Video after the jump.

Source [Exotics Rally]

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